Professor Layton and the Auric Dominion
by GMaster1991
Summary: Six months after the events of 'Professor Layton and the White Atlamillia', Professor Layton returns to solve the mystery of an angry spirit haunting the heir to a royal family throne in Germany. As always, nothing is ever as it seems... The most intriguing part of this mystery is the involvement of the legendary Illuminati and how it ties in to this mystery, as well as his past.
1. Prologue

**It's been a while since I made a new chapter... As you may already know, this fanfic is a direct sequel to the fanfic 'Professor Layton and the White Atlamillia' that I had started last year and is the second story of the unofficial 'third trilogy'. That being said, there will be spoilers from the first story as well as spoilers from nearly ALL of the official games. You have been warned!**

It had been about six months since Professor Layton's previous adventure and everyone had attempted to return to their normal lives after the Snow Tower Cataclysm as best as they could. However, it would not be so simple to do that since the incident had irrevocably affected the lives of everyone involved long after the incident subsided.

Luke Triton was doing what he could to help his mother after his father's death and had been living with Professor Layton and Flora ever since the incident. The memories of seeing his father's dead body was plagued him at times, but Luke had matured to an extent since the ordeal. Also, he was brought to grief counseling immediately after he had arrived back at London and still goes there on a fortnight basis. Other than that, Luke is mostly the same helpful and aspiring young man that he had always been.

Speaking of Luke's mother, Brenda was not as fortunate as Luke was. Although her physical injuries have long since healed from the incident, her emotional injuries have not. Like Luke, she was also taken to grief counseling after her physical injuries were healed. Unfortunately, despite Luke's and everyone else's best efforts to try to cheer her up, her husband's death had left her into a deep brooding depression that she had still not returned from. Every once in a while, she would seem perfectly fine at one moment, and then the next moment, she would immediately burst into tears or even manic fits of laughter. There were also a few moments when she referred to Luke as 'Clark' by mistake... These are actually common traits of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and people don't usually fully heal from that during their lives.

Despite Flora's horrible physical injuries since the incident, she was without a doubt, the least emotionally burdened one of the group. The burns on her face have healed completely and the stitches had been removed. There were only slight marks on her face which were barely visible at all and they can easily be covered with make-up if necessary. She was pretty much the same young lady that she had always been: always wanting to be around company and terrible at cooking. However, most people were reluctant to actually tell Flora about her cooking due to not wanting to hurt her feelings.

There was also a very notable inclusion to the quirky cast. During the professor's previous adventure, he befriended a highly intelligent panda bear whom is capable of speech. He refers to himself only as 'Travis' and his most notable qualities are his stunted size compared to other members of his species and his use of vulgar and profane language. These qualities are notable simply because he's only about four feet tall and almost nobody else uses vulgar language in this video game series **ever**. He also once had a profession for hunting and destroying supernatural entities before he went out of business after the end of the Snow Tower Cataclysm. He had also lost his left eye after it had been forcibly plucked out, but it had since been replaced with a prosthetic. Now, he had lived with Professor Layton for about six months because he's one of the few humans who don't have any bigotry against intelligent animals.

Finally, the titular professor himself... Professor Layton had changed the most from his previous adventure. For starters, even though he is only 39 years old, his body had aged considerably to the point that he had appeared over 80 years old! This had all happened because he had willingly sacrificed his own body and youth to save an innocent undead spirit that was trapped within the Snow Tower for over a decade. As a result, the spirit is now contained within the professor's body because his life literally depends on its presence within him at all times. If the spirit were to ever leave his body for even a brief moment, he would die. He had also lost many qualities that most people would take for granted, such as the ability to taste food or drink of any kind, feel any sensation on his body whatsoever, or even sleep! In essence, Professor Layton had lost his very humanity! Despite all of these negative qualities, the professor does not seem to truly have any regrets for his fateful decision. It is implied that he was once very close with this spirit in life and the two continue to hold some sort of partnership with one another. Because of the professor's drastic change in physical appearance, he does not make public appearances as often as he had used to. Admittedly, he was not one for being a slave to publicity anyways. Regardless, he still regularly performs his duties as a college professor and scholar as if nothing had changed. He doesn't particularly enjoy speaking about his prematurely aged condition, but nearly everyone he know reacts with utter shock or horror after the first time they see him again. After a while, rumors started to spread about the professor's condition. Some say that a puff of smoke or mist comes out of his mouth on occasion. Others say that the professor's eyes actually glow in a light blue color on occasion. It is unclear to the public whether or not these rumors truly occur, but the professor had already accomplish many great deeds in his life, so it seemed plausible...

Now, a new adventure will soon begin... The professor had received a handwritten letter that came from Aurich, Germany.

()

_Dear Hershel Layton,_

_I have heard of your renown of your intellect as well as your willingness to aid others in need and I believe that you would be the perfect man to aid the Auric Dominion of our endeavor. Recently, it has come to our attention that Cattleya Auric, the only legitimate heir to the Auric throne, is haunted by what appears to be a malicious spirit. As Cattleya's well being will help determine the future of Aurich in the decades to come, this is a grave matter that must be dealt with great haste! Should you accept this invitation, you shall be fully compensated for time and travel._

_Please write back with your answer to our proposal at your earliest convenience!_

_Sincerely,_

_M. A._

()

The professor was actually reluctant to go solve another mystery... After all of the suffering that had befallen everyone since the previous adventure had made the professor consider giving up travelling completely for the sake of watching over Luke and Flora, and to a lesser extent, Travis. However, this mystery had mentioned a 'malicious spirit' that may be similar to the enormous number of spirits that were trapped within the Snow Tower six months ago. This may lead to the possibility that the man responsible for the Snow Tower Cataclysm, Asimeous Queens, may have some involvement with this as well. After all, there aren't many people in the world that is gifted with the ability to control dead spirits. Although the professor is not a vengeful man by nature, Asimeous captured thousands of spirits for the sake of understand the cycle of life and death and conducted horrible and unethical experiments on them for a very long time! As the other spirit within the professor could describe it, it was truly worse than death itself! With that, the professor had accepted the proposal. It was not for vengeance, but for the hope that nobody, either living or dead, would ever have to suffer the same way ever again!

**All this first chapter is meant to be is a prologue for this story, so nothing really happened yet. Here's a fun fact: there really is a district in Germany called Aurich in real life! Hopefully, I will post one chapter every week, but due to college starting in a couple of days and my busy work schedule, that may not always happen. As always, feel free to review!**


	2. Tutorial Puzzle

Professor Layton's mind was basically made up at this point. After how everyone else had suffered since the last adventure, he wondered to himself how everyone would react when they learned that he would go on yet another adventure. He spread the word that he had something important to discuss when everyone was present.

When everyone gathered in the professor's room, he would finally deliver the news, "Ahem... Now then... Luke, Flora, Brenda, and Travis... Good, you're all here. As you may remember, I had been refusing to get myself involved in any further mysteries so that I could devote myself toward helping all of you move on from what happened... during our last adventure. It was about six months ago... I am certain that you all recall the number of tragedies that had befallen us all. There is a new mystery involving a malicious spirit haunting the young heiress of a royal family that lives in a German city called Aurich. Although the possibility is quite small, there may be a chance that Aurich could end up suffering the same fate that New York did. Most of the citizens in New York were helpless to deal with the threat and it had only resolved the way that it did by either a miracle or sheer luck! That is why I wish to get involved in this mystery... If this haunting will end up like anything similar to the Snow Tower Cataclysm, then I want to stop it before such an event could ever take place!"

The professor paused for a moment to see the reactions of everyone else, "What do you all think? Would any of you care to assist me in my travels once more? Should you wish for me to decline the offer, I will hold no judgment toward any..."

Before the professor could finish, Luke was practically bursting with excitement, "You really mean it, professah?!"

The professor rose an eyebrow, "Luke?"

Luke jumped for joy a couple of times, "I'll go pack our suitcases, professah!"

The professor stretched his arm out toward Luke, "Hold on. Luke, are you absolutely sure you wish to accompany me?"

Luke was puzzled, "What do you mean, professah? I've **always** been your apprentice!"

The professor nodded, "Yes, yes... Of course you have! It's just... after what happened to your home, your school, and... um, your father... This adventure could possibly be similar to the previous one and I'm simply concerned with your emotional well-being."

Luke remembered all too well and frowned at the very thought, "I'll be all right... Besides, it's gotten awfully dull here for the past few months. A little fresh air could help take my mind off of things."

The professor had no reason to argue, "I suppose so. How about you, Flora?"

Flora was actually dumbfounded by this, "You... Are you serious? You actually **want** me to come with you?!"

The professor chuckled, "Well, I had given it some thought. I do not wish to be as neglectful as I may have come across over the years. I had also considered the possibility that you would end up going in disguise and following us regardless of how I felt and... just try to be very careful, all right?"

Flora nodded with a smile, "Mm-hmm!"

Travis rose his paw up, "I'm in. I haven't had a decent paying job in months and if what that letter of yours says is true, then this 'Aurich' place could be my ticket to owning my own car and food that actually **tastes **good!"

Flora was unpleasantly surprised by what Travis just said, "What? But, what about **my **food? I made fish casserole last night. Didn't you eat any of it?"

Travis responded bluntly, "No."

Flora frowned, "Why not? It's rude to be picky, you know!"

Travis was not amused, "For starters, the fish still had its eyeball attached to it and the casserole itself reeked of gasoline..."

The professor crossed his arms, "Travis, I've told you before about how sensitive Flora is about her cooking."

Flora frowned in disgust, "It was supposed to be like sushi. I got the recipe from television the other day."

Travis let out some of his signature snark, "You mean 'Fear Factor'?"

Flora was visibly angry, "If you would have just tried it, you might have liked it!"

Travis didn't relent either, "The fish's eyeball was **blinking**, and I'm expected to eat that shit!? I've seen more appetizing food back when I was dumpster diving!"

Flora's jaw dropped in shock.

The professor pulled his hat over his eyes, "Oh... The folly of youth... It must be a pleasant experience."

Flora crossed her arms and turned her back on Travis, "Hmph!"

The professor chastised Travis on his lack of gentleman-like etiquette many times before... Now, he's doing it again, "Travis, if you wish to accompany us, I expect you to at least treat any lady we meet with respect."

Travis didn't sound very interested, but didn't really mind either, "Fine... But, I'm not eating Flora's food and I won't make up reasons why I won't either! Her cooking is horrible and I would rather not be diagnosed with food poisoning!"

The professor sighed in annoyance, "Believe me, Travis... Your opinions have been noted... again, and again, and... again."

The professor finally turned to Brenda, who hadn't yet spoken a word, "Brenda? How do you feel about Luke accompanying me?"

Brenda was still silent and her eyes drifted toward the floor...

The professor put his hand over her shoulder, "Brenda, if you're not comfortable with Luke travelling with me, you may tell me."

Brenda turned her eyes back up toward the professor, "No... No, Luke should be fine with you. I... I'm sorry. It's been difficult since Clark passed away."

The professor gave Brenda a friendly hug, "I know, Brenda."

Brenda was still Luke's mother and was naturally conscious about Luke's well-being, "I will join you all. I won't worry as much about Luke if I see him every once in a while."

The professor nodded in agreement and Brenda actually smiled for the first time in months.

After packing up their supplies, everyone had placed their supplies (or in Travis's case, thrown) in the trunk of Professor Layton's signature automobile. The professor was sitting in the driver's seat and Luke was on the front seat to the left of him. Brenda sat directly behind the professor, Flora sat in the middle, and Travis sat directly behind Luke.

The professor buckled his seatbelt, "Now then, before I begin driving us there, I believe there is some business to attend to. Luke and Flora are both familiar with how our travels typically work. Brenda intends to simply enjoy a vacation at Aurich while we work on our newest mystery. However, for Travis's sake, I will state brief instructions on how to deal with the obstacles that we may have to face."

Travis didn't understand why he needed a tutorial, "What? I've been a hunter for years! I know what my **own controls **are. The analog stick moves me, the A-button is the low attack, the B-button is the high attack, the L-button is the lock-on button, the R- button is the block button, the X- button lets me do evasive rolls, and the Y-button lets me scan things with my PDA. I don't need a tutorial!"

The professor chuckled to himself, "That is not what I meant, Travis. In our adventures, we do not often require quick reflexes or knowledge of our adversaries to succeed. We must simply possess a sharp mind and critical thinking."

Travis didn't really understand what kind of 'genre' this is, "Wait, how do I kill monsters and collect loot and stuff?"

The professor sighed, "Come now, this is a puzzle adventure, not a 'beat-em-up'. Bear with me, Travis... Hmm... Perhaps a more 'in-depth' tutorial is necessary... Luke, would you hand Travis the map that the letter came with?"

Luke handed Travis a folded up slip of paper for Travis to open. There was a map of several cities in Germany connecting to certain roads from England.

Travis stared at it for a moment and realized that this map isn't exactly helpful, "Wait a minute. There's no compass on this map and the cities don't have names next to them. How am I supposed to know where this 'Aurich' is?"

The professor began what would be his first lesson of many on how to succeed in his trademark series of adventures, "If you look on the back of the map, there are a set of instructions that tell you how to determine which city Aurich is."

Travis flipped the map and read the instructions out loud, "My district is on a road that leads to no other towns. I look forward to seeing you there."

Luke's 'inner fan boy' was shown for a moment, "You're a lucky animal! That type of puzzle is a classic! It reminds me of when the professah and I first went to St. Mystere!"

Travis continued reading, "Worth up to 10 Picarats?"

The professor explained the concept of picarats, "I had almost forgotten. Whenever a puzzle is introduced, there is a maximum number of picarats that may be earned upon successfully solving it on our first attempt. The number of picarats you may earn is correspondent to the difficulty of the puzzle. A puzzle with more picarats is certain to be more difficult. It is also important to remember that, should you answer a puzzle incorrectly, the number of picarats that you earn on subsequent attempts drop, so it is important to make sure that you are certain of the answer before you attempt to solve the puzzle."

Travis scratched his head, "So... picarats are some kind of currency, right?"

The professor shook his head, "That's not quite the idea, no."

Travis took another guess, "So... they're British candy?"

The professor was getting slightly annoyed, "No."

Travis guessed again, "British drugs?"

The professor was much more stern now, "**No!**"

Travis gave up at this point, "Then, just **what** do these picarats do?"

The professor tried his best to explain, "Well, picarats don't really **do** anything."

Travis was dumbfounded at this point, "What's the point then?"

The professor was still trying to explain, "Picarats are similar to a sort of 'score' that you may earn. Travis, you will more likely understand how these adventures work if you solve a few puzzles."

Travis looked at the map again, "Fine... Let's see... A road that leads to no other towns? The only one that fits that description is this district is the one on the eastern side of Germany neighboring Poland and Austria."

The professor smiled, "Excellent, Travis! Just keep your mind open and you'll do just fine."

Travis gave a fake sense of pride, "Ahaha... yea... You might want to ask for actual directions when we get there."

The professor kept a pleasant attitude, "Oh, that puzzle that the Auric Royal Family had mailed us was easy enough to decipher."

Travis was still a little annoyed, "That's not the point! If the **Aurics** want us to help them and the **Aurics **want us to find their district, then the **Aurics** should just tell us wherever the hell we're supposed to go without trying to confuse us! You know, like what **maps** are made for?"

The professor had tried enough for now, "Ah, Travis... You have much to learn."

**I realized that I barely put any puzzles in the last story, so I'm trying to make up for that. Since Travis was never really involved with puzzle games, I made this tutorial for HIM so that readers won't feel like I'm treating them like idiots... You know, because they must have PLAYED some, if not all, of the Professor Layton games already... As always, feel free to review!**


	3. Arriving at Aurich

The group rode in Professor Layton's car for the entire ride from London in England to Aurich in Germany. The entire trip took about 8 hours and that included the fact that there were no pit stops in between. It was already around sunset by the time the group had finally arrived and stepped out of the car.

After the numerous stretches and yawns, Professor Layton observed his pocket watch that he took out from his coat pocket. It read 6:20 on it.

Travis noticed how the professor looked as his watch so carefully, "Do we have a date to keep with these people? What time is it?"

The professor handed his pocket watch to Luke, "I would say that the current time is 7:20 PM."

Luke noticed the hour difference between the watch and what the professor just stated, "Professah? Your watch suggests that it's 6:20 PM. See?"

Luke showed the professor the watch while the professor pointed his finger upward as if he was about to solve a puzzle, "It does, doesn't it..? Luke, why do you think that is?"

Luke didn't quite understand what the professor meant, "Huh?"

The professor put his hand over his chin, "Take a moment to think about this, Luke... Why is it that the two times that I and my watch state contradict one another?"

(!)

**Puzzle #01 - Get With The Times**

**Picarats: 20/20**

Professor Layton's watch suggests that the time is currently 6:20 PM. Despite this, the professor is very certain that the time is actually 7:20 PM after everyone had just arrived in Aurich. Why?

**(From now on, I will probably make these stories more like the games by having puzzles everywhere. Each puzzle name will begin in bold letters and the puzzles themselves will be underlined and have a "(!)" symbol before and after the puzzle. Feel free to solve them before reading onward if you would like!)**

(!)

Luke took a moment to think about this, "Hmm... Well, we left your office at about 10:30 AM and the whole drive took about 8 hours to get here... Let's see... 11,12,1,2,3,4,5,6... No, that's 8 hours. Professah, are you **sure** that it's 7:20 PM?"

The professor nodded, "I'm positive."

Luke was still thinking about it for a minute, "We haven't gotten very far yet. I don't want to disappoint the professah, but I may have to use a hint coi..."

Before Luke finished his sentence, Travis was walking quickly behind the professor and Luke with Flora and Brenda behind him, "Aaaaaand, why did we just stop moving all of a sudden? It's getting late and we need a bite to eat and a place to sleep."

The professor had shown Travis his pocket watch, "Luke is attempting to comprehend why my watch is incorrectly set."

Travis was confused, "Wait, we just travel hundreds of miles from your place to here without stopping anywhere and the first thing that comes to mind is some pocket watch? How about 'Where will we sleeping for the night?' and 'Are there any rumors about paranormal hauntings in the city floating around?' or maybe something like 'What does it take to get a decent sense of direction here without being given a useless map like we're **mentally retarded**?'"

Luke ignored Travis and continued to think about the pocket watch before coming up with an answer, "I think I've got it. You must've forgotten to move your pocket watch forward 1 hour after Daylight Savings Time!"

The professor wasn't satisfied with that answer, "I'm sorry, Luke... I'm afraid that's incorrect."

Luke actually flinched for a moment before slapping his forehead with his hand, "Aw... I must be getting rusty. I haven't solved a single puzzle in months!"

Professor Layton chuckled silently to himself, "Come to think of it, we haven't solved a single real puzzle during the entirety of our last mystery."

Travis sighed in annoyance, "In case I have to remind you, you both consider yourselves 'gen-tle-meeeen', and I know that 'gen-tle-meeeeen' don't force two ladies... and **me** to wait for you to take your sweet old time solving a puzzle that has nothing to do with anything just after an **8 hour car ride**!"

The professor took a moment to think about it, "I cannot deny that, but at the same time, a true gentleman would never leave a puzzle unsolved either. This is quite a puzzle in itself: whether or not to keep ladies... and you waiting for us to solve a puzzle. A true gentleman would do everything in his ability to perform both tasks, yet both tasks directly contradict with one another..."

Travis's jaw was wide open and his right eye started twitching before he looked at the watch himself, "Look, we're probably just in a different time zone from London! You drove hundreds of miles west and we're now in a place where the time is set one hour ahead of London. The watch say it's 6:20, you say it's 7:20. Okay! Great, puzzle solved... Now, let's **go**! We're all starving, Flora's food is worse than the Bubonic Plague, and my legs are so numb from sitting that my fur ended up **curling** inside me."

While Travis was walking toward the town gate, Luke was positive that he would solve this puzzle, "Don't worry, professah! Your number-one apprentice **will** solve this puzzle soon!"

The professor was delighted to see the same enthusiasm that Luke always had, but he had some bad news, "That is wonderful to hear, Luke. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that Travis had already given us the correct answer! Germany is indeed in a time zone that is one hour ahead of London."

Luke was feeling a combination of surprise and anger, "**WHAAAAAT?!** He... he already solved it? But, that was **my** puzzle! That's not fair! I... I want another one! Please, professah, give me another puzzle!"

Professor Layton adjusted his hat out of reflex, "Luke? I know that Travis was not entirely pleasant about it, but he does make a good point. We can wait until after we are well acquainted with this town before I give you another puzzle."

Luke had calmed down a bit, "That's a relief, but what about the picarats? Do I get them because it was my puzzle or does Travis get them because he solved it first?"

The professor took a moment to think about that, "To be honest, I haven't the faintest idea... In all of our years of adventure and discovery, we had never once encountered a situation where a neutral third party had solved the puzzle from right under the intended recipient's nose. However, I would like to state that the act of 'picarat theft' is frowned upon by gentlemen everywhere."

Luke put his hands across his mouth and shouted to Travis, who was taking his equipment from the trunk of the professor's car, "Did you hear that, Travis? Picarat theft is frowned upon by gentlemen!"

Travis just shook his head and gave Luke an awkward stare, "Kid, grow some balls...", before tossing Professor Layton's briefcase to its owner.

Luke was flabbergasted from such as crude response, "How dare you!"

The professor interrupted the childish bickering, "Luke, Travis, both of you settle down. It would be best not to make a scene before we've even properly introduced ourselves to the residents of this city."

Luke sighed in a sense of either defeat or shame, while Travis remained indifferent and tossed Brenda's bag to her and closing the trunk.

Brenda fumbled her bag for a bit before firmly grasping it, "You know, I can't help but wonder how the people here will react to... well, a talking animal."

The professor assured Brenda of something, "If it would make you feel better, that is not even close to the most bizarre thing that we may end up experiencing."

Brenda recalled some of the professor's past adventures, such as the village filled with robots and an entire city underneath London, "He'll fit right in, won't he?"

The professor glanced at Travis bickering with Luke and Flora in the distance, "It may take some time, but I'm certain he will."

Brenda followed behind the trio while the professor remained next to his car to double check his suitcase. He had his journal, his puzzle list, and his ability to save and record his progress at any time.

When the professor closed his suitcase, he heard the same familiar voice from the other spirit inside his body, "_Some things never change, do they?_"

"I have not forgotten about my intentions to quit adventuring for the sake of everyone else. It's just... I cannot simply let another city suffer the same fate that New York did."

"_You just want some sense of 'justice' after what I went through, don't you?_"

"It seems I still cannot hide anything from you."

"_You don't have to justify anything to me, Hershel. Actually, there's something I would like to show you tonight._"

"Tonight?"

"_You haven't been able to sleep at all for the past six months because of... how you gave your life._"

"Yes, I have not actually **needed** sleep since then. What about it?"

"_Later on tonight when everyone else is asleep, it should be quiet enough. When it is, there's something that I would like to show you. And no, there's no need to be apprehensive, I won't control you again._"

"What did you have in mind?"

"_I'll give you a hint: spirits see their surroundings differently from the way that living people do._"

"Is that the only hint?"

"_Yes, I'll let you solve the rest of the puzzle yourself._"

"Well, I suppose I would just be waiting until morning regardless."

"_That's wonderful! You won't regret it, I promise!_"

**I had just created what was possibly the very first picarat leeching... If the Layton series was multiplayer, people would probably do this a lot. As always, feel free to review!**


	4. Truesight Tutorial

Upon entering Aurich for the first time, the first thing that everyone noticed were their immediate surroundings. Many of the buildings were painted white and had either red or blue shilling roofs on the top. The walls of each building looked like they were all made up of hand-placed bricks and the roads were also composed of identically patterned blocks instead of concrete. The sunset could just be seen across the horizon over a blue shilling roof.

There weren't many people outside at this time since it was almost nighttime and the people who were outside were preoccupied with their nightly chores to notice their newest visitors (and more specifically, a foreign animal).

Professor Layton recorded his sights immediately in his notebook, "So, this is Aurich... How quaint. This place is reminiscent of my adolescence in Stansbury."

Travis adjusted his prosthetic eye to view the sunset, "This place is way different from America. I can actually **see** the sunset here."

Luke pointed out a nearby building by pointing at it, "There's the hotel that the Auric letter told us to go to after we've arrived here."

The professor noticed the sign next to the hotel read 'Middelpunkt Sporthotel', "Ah... It's positioned right next to the entrance of town. How convenient."

The group of five walked inside the hotel and observed its interior. The floors were green and polished like a mirror and the corners of each wall was held in place by a column. There were large potted plants along the walls and receptionist's desk. There were bellhops literally moving luggage everywhere around the hotel. Finally, there was an enormous fountain in the very center of the hotel.

Everyone was taking time to admire the interior of this hotel, but the tranquility was suddenly halted after one of the bellhops pointed at Travis while shouting, "Beeeeeast! Someone call Animal Control!"

Travis was no stranger to the human bigotry against him and simply covered his eyes with his paw, "Aaaaand, it begins..."

The receptionist had blue hair that was knotted in pigtails, "Well, excuuuuuse me, sire! Pets aren't allowed in the hotel."

The professor attempted to convince the receptionist otherwise, "Pardon me, miss. This bear is not only nobody's pet, but has proven to us that he is quite intelligent and capable enough to hold his own identity."

Travis approached the receptionist's desk, "The gentleman put it nicely. I put it as **'racist bitch'**!"

The professor quickly reprimanded Travis, "I've told you many times before, Travis. No profanities toward a lady!", the professor expressed regret for Travis's language, "I apologize for my companion's vulgarities, but Travis is truly no one's pet. I implore you to treat this bear as if he were human."

The receptionist did not yield, "I'm sorry, sir. The rules say 'no pets allowed'. If I let this bear in, I would have to let all the animals in!"

Luke was particularly angry about this, most because animals are allowed anywhere back in Misthallery, "This isn't fair! Travis, did you used to go through this your whole life?"

Travis was visibly annoyed, "Yea, pretty much."

The professor looked at the Auric letter again for any other hotel recommendations, "That is quite odd... The Auric letter did not mention that animals were forbidden."

The receptionist's facial expression brightened instantly, "Auric letter? Could you be... the famous Professor Hershel Layton?!"

The professor was quite modest about his 'fame', "I would not consider myself famous."

The receptionist was practically squealing like a fan girl, "Nonsense! I've read up on all your adventures and your puzzle books and... and... you looked so much younger in the newspaper... What happened?"

The professor was a bit self-conscious about his premature age, "I do not wish to discuss that."

Luke was actually delighted to have a chance to test a fellow 'Layton enthusiast', "You're a 'Laytonesque' fan, huh?! How old was the professah when he embarked on his first official adventure as a famous puzzle solver?"

The receptionist had a look on her face that suggested that she knew an obvious answer, "He was 34 years old and went to Misthallery to save the town from a specter. Duh!"

Luke was satisfied with the answer, "She's definitely one of 'us', all right?"

The receptionist was now **shivering** with excitement, "Okay, okay... Well, I'll make an exception for your pet just this once **if**... you solve my puzzle."

The professor accepted the offer immediately, "Certainly!"

Travis was now dumbfounded, "Are you serious? A **puzzle** is going to determine whether or not I get to sleep in a hotel or have to sleep outside in the **moss**?"

The professor was much more confident, "Do not despair, Travis. One puzzle should not prove too difficult of a challenge."

The receptionist waved her hands back and forth as if she was waving at her own head, "The puzzle is... what is my name?"

The professor didn't understand how that could be a puzzle, "I do not know. You are not even wearing your name tag..."

The receptionist squealed with fright, "Whaaaaat? I lost my name tag and in front of the great Professor Layton?!", she composed herself for the official puzzle portion, "Wait, I can make this work. Okay, here goes!"

(!)

**Puzzle #02 - Missing Pairs**

**Picarats: 20/20**

The receptionist's name contains 7 letters as shown below. To solve her name, you must fill both pairs of blanks with the **same letters on each pair**. (For example, 'a - - m o - -' would be 'anemone' if both pairs were filled with 'ne'.

- - s - - d e

"I begin by flowing softly, then I smash into the hard rocks below."

What is the receptionist's name?

(!)

The professor came up with the answer almost instantly, "The brief description that you have given describes a waterfall, so I believe the answer is...", and pointed at the receptionist in an extremely dramatic manner, "Cascade!"

The receptionist squealed with delight, while Luke and Flora were clapping and applauding the professor, "Hurray!" "Yes!"

On the other hand, Travis was not yet accustomed to the fact that Professor Layton points like that literally **every single time** he solves a puzzle, "What the hell was that all about..?"

The receptionist squealed **again**, "That's it! Yes, my name is Cascade.", and pulled out a black and white picture of a baby with very small eyes, "Professor Layton? I've got to have your autograph! Could you sign this for me? Pleeeeease?"

The professor glanced at the picture and squinted his own eyes, "Cascade..? I am curious as to how you had acquired a photograph of me during my infancy."

Cascade shrugged the question off, "That's not important. Just write 'To my dearest friend, Cascade'."

While the professor was understandably becoming uncomfortable, he complied with Cascade's request, "Very well."

After the professor was finished, he handed the picture back to Cascade, "Now that our affairs are in order, may we please be given the keys to our rooms, with Travis included?"

Cascade handed the professor the keys, "Here! According to Baron Auric's given instructions, your room is Room 17 and it had been completely paid for by the Auric coffers."

The professor was pleased with the free accommodations, "I shall remember to give Baron Auric my thanks tomorrow."

The entire group of five went toward Room 17 which was to the left of the entrance. Like in the entrance, the walls had the same columns and potted plants used as decorations.

Travis now had a moment to ask about the bizarre things that are common in Professor Layton's adventures, "Professor? Why did you point at that fan girl like that after getting her name right?"

The professor recalls that he does his signature point every time he solves a puzzle, "Force of habit, I suppose."

Travis wasn't entirely satisfied with that answer, "Yea... Well, last time I checked, putting your finger in people's faces like that is creepy as hell in human society. And another thing... Did you notice that the receptionist we talked to earlier spoke perfect English? I mean, we're in a German city... I would have thought that we needed a translator or something."

The professor pondered this idea for a moment, "Hmm... To be honest, the very idea of that did not cross my mind. Perhaps Baron Auric had prepared us with the particular residents that were proficient in speaking English."

Travis pulled out the map from earlier, "He gave us a useless map, but now he's practically holding our hands when we're actually here?"

The professor also had to ask Luke something, "Luke? When you referred Cascade as a 'Laytonesque', what did you mean by that?"

Luke was happy to explain, "I never told you? Perhaps it had not came up... I created a website on the internet called 'Tophatipedia' about two months ago. It has information on all of our adventures and the people we've met! The people that add or modify pages on the website on a regular basis are known as 'Laytonesques'. Today, I have over 300 followers and I'm getting more every week!"

The professor was taken aback by this information, "A Wikipedia-styled website... based on me? That's... that's quite humbling, Luke? I do appreciate the sentiment, however. Ah, there's our room!"

When the group arrived at Room 17, they saw many of the accommodations such as two queen sized beds, a fireplace, a large television, a plush couch, an entire dining room with a kitchen, large purple curtains near the windows, and even a chandelier.

Luke was the first to bolt right in the room as he immediately started bouncing on the bed while Travis called 'dibs' on the other one. Flora ran right toward the kitchen and appeared eager to make her next 'creation'. Brenda simply sat on the plush couch next to the television while her son was happily bouncing on the bed.

Finally, Professor Layton looked at his wrinkled hand and saw mist coming from it, "Yes, I have not forgotten. You wish to show me something tonight..."

About six hours later, it was 1:30 AM and everyone was comfortable and asleep except the professor. Luke and his mother were sleeping in one bed while Flora and Travis were sleeping in another. Since the professor could no longer experience the necessity of sleep, this would be the perfect opportunity to learn how spiritual power would aid him in his adventures.

He quietly left the room with only his briefcase in his hands and left through the entrance. There was nobody else that was awake either inside the hotel or outside. It was pitch black outside and there weren't even any lights on, so it was nearly impossible to see.

There were no distractions whatsoever, so it was the perfect time for a 'tutorial', "I am not very certain about how you could 'show' me anything in total darkness. Perhaps I should have brought a candle..."

"_That won't be necessary, Hershel. Now then... First, you must go into 'Investigation Mode' like you normally would by tapping on the 'Magnifying Glass' icon on the top of the Touch Screen._"

"I suppose it couldn't hurt to despite the pitch-black darkness."

"_Good. Now, on the bottom-left corner of the Touch Screen, there should now be what looks like a blue and white colored eye. Tap that icon._"

After the professor (or the player holding the 3DS) did so, all of his surroundings appeared to have had their colors inverted. (For example, the white buildings had appeared black and the grass had appeared orange.) Also, the faraway buildings and roads were completely visible in this state.

"What in the world..?"

"_During the long years that my soul was trapped in that icy prison, I have had much time to discover the extent of what powers a spirit can possess. I will refer this particular one as 'Truesight' from now on. Now, I could bore you by giving you the long and detailed explanation, but why don't you try and observe __**anything different**__ from what a normal living person would see._"

The professor only took a moment to see what looked like glowing footprints on a **cobblestoned road**, "Aside from the ability to see perfectly in total darkness, I have also discovered footprints on the road."

"_Truesight can see the footprints of anyone that has been in the vicinity since the last few hours or so. This is much different from normal footprints because they do not actually need to be visible to the naked eye for Truesight to spot them. Nearly every living thing in the world has a heat signature within their body and that heat is projected on anything a person touches. Even after the person whose footprints they belonged to have left, the heat is left behind in the form of prints for a little while. There is actually much more to it than that, but I'll explain that at another time. Now then, is there anything else you have observed differently?_"

The professor looked around a little more and saw what looked like a faint sparkling light on a nearby brick wall, "That sparkle perhaps..?"

Upon observing it, the professor had discovered a hidden puzzle.

(!)

**Puzzle #03 - Number Swap**

**Picarats: 10/10**

What are the **fewest** number of swaps that are necessary to render this equation mathematically correct? (For example, a 'swap' is changing any single digit or mathematical symbol to a different one. Swapping the '63' counts as two changes - one for each digit.)

9 X 9 = 63

(!)

The professor was familiar with many kinds of puzzles. This one was one that appeared simple, so there was likely a trick to it, "At first glance, it appears that one swap is necessary from a 9 to a 7. That's too obvious..."

He tried simply flipping the numbers upside-down for a while just in case that didn't count as a swap. No combinations of that were correct, so he tried flipping the **entire equation** upside-down so that it had appeared as '36 = 6 X 6', "There! No swaps are necessary at all. The equation is correct by flipping the puzzle upside-down. Clever..."

"_You haven't lost your wit after all this time. Whenever you see a sparkle when you use Truesight, then it is most likely something of interest, so I would suggest you to tap it._"

"One moment... **Anything** of interest? What else would I find with it besides hidden puzzles?"

"_Hint coins, hidden treasures, lost items, and so on. Truesight could eliminate the need the scan each and every location with Investigation Mode._"

"I must admit that I do have a particular fondness for investigating..."

"_That isn't a problem. You can turn off Truesight by tapping the same blue and white eyeball icon again. Since Truesight would only identify things that are normally hidden to the naked eye, you may have to use Investigation Mode to do more mundane tasks like reading signs or hearing an assistant's opinion on something. But, this is only the beginning of what Truesight can do..._"

"Is that so?"

"_You can also use it to observe __**living people**__. Now, everyone is asleep at this time of night, so there's nobody to test it on. Whenever you do want to try it, you could use it to read someone's aura or emotions and check for any inconsistencies with what someone says or looks like. In layman's terms, you can use Truesight to __**see through lies and disguises immediately**__!_"

"Th... that is truly incredible! In my previous adventures, there have been several villains that relied heavily on deceit and disguise. If what you tell me about Truesight is correct, then..."

"_A spirit does not have the same earthly limitation with what they can see as the living do. There is nothing that can truly be hidden from a spirit for long. Absolutely __**nothing**__! However, Truesight alone is rarely enough. If you wish to accuse someone, you would still need to be able to back up your claims with hard evidence. Nobody else could possibly see what I can show you, after all... Also, while Truesight can help you see lies, it doesn't tell you __**what the person in question is lying about**__. You will still need to solve that on your own._"

The professor was more than impressed with the new Truesight function added to his adventures, "Even so, this is outstanding! I wonder if there are more hidden puzzles to find..."

"_I'll explain in more detail how using Truesight on a person works when you actually attempt to do so, but for now, consider this the end of the tutorial. Now, it will be some time before sunrise, so you might as well experiment with it while you can. I've personally learned all I can with it._"

**The idea of 'Truesight' is like adding an entirely new game mechanic to a series that barely changes anything at all. The Professor Layton series has its good share of fans, but too much of the same thing can get old at times. As always, feel free to review!**


	5. More Truesight Tutorial

It was 8 AM and sunlight had just beamed through the windows and shined upon Luke's eyes. After a brief squint and barely any effort to cover his eyes, Luke yawned and stretched on the bed before lifting his head off of the bed and allowing the pillow to peel off of the back of his head. Flora, Travis, and his mother were still asleep.

Professor Layton was quietly organizing his suitcase on the table before he noticed Luke had just woken up, "Good morning, Luke. Did I wake you?"

Luke responded with a mixture of yawning and unintelligible gibberish.

The professor had a fake sense of understanding, "Really now? Tell me more..."

Luke silently climbed out of bed still half-asleep and poured himself a cup of tea before walking toward another chair next to the professor to sit next to him, "Good morning, professah...", and then yawned again.

The professor wondered if Luke needed time to fully wake up, "Luke? Do you still need more time to rest?"

Luke took a sip of his tea, "I'm all right, professah. I know you've been waiting for me while I was asleep. Your apprentice shouldn't keep you all day, right?"

The professor was hesitant to get started right away, "Luke, you do not need to worry about my patience. Though I can no longer enjoy the simply pleasure of sleep, I assure you that I have had much to do while you were asleep."

The professor patted his suitcase so that Luke's natural curiosity would spark, "What have you been doing last night?"

The professor opened the suitcase and revealed a very large and unorganized stack of papers, "Puzzles, my boy. I have spent all of last night finding and solving hidden puzzles."

Luke rifted his hand through all of the various sheets of puzzles, "Just how many hidden puzzles **did** you solve while we were asleep?"

The professor had felt an odd sense of pride in this (normally masochistic) accomplishment, "If I have counted correctly, I believe that I have discovered and solved eight hundred and ninety-seven hidden puzzles last night."

Luke spit out his tea in utter shock, "W-wha? You found and solved **eight hundred and ninety-seven** hidden puzzles in one night?!"

The professor noticed that Luke was now very awake, "Well, to be entirely honest, I may have been able to solve at least one thousand puzzles were it not for the numerous policemen demanding that I get down from each and every chimney and scaffolding that I had been traversing."

Luke was astounded from what the professor just said, "You spent last night climbing on buildings to find hidden puzzles?"

The professor was holding back his urge to laugh, "If I did not do so, then who would ever have solved those puzzles..? Really though, I jest about that last part."

Luke was a bit concerned that he wouldn't get that chance to solve that puzzle that would replace the one that Travis stole, "Are there any puzzles left? I thought I would get a chance to solve one..."

The professor had actually forgotten about that, "Ah! Well... Why don't you just solve one of the puzzles that I had already completed? You were not present while I was solving them, so the answers have not been given away."

Luke was excited for this chance, "Yes! I won't let you down, professah!"

The professor was glad to see Luke's enthusiasm, "Wonderful. I had found the method to solve this particular puzzle to be quite clever.

(!)

**Puzzle #04 - One In One Thousand**

**Picarats: 10/10**

What is the sum of all of the numbers from 1 to 1000?

(Hint: There is a much more efficient way to solve this puzzle without adding 1, 2, 3, and so on up to 1000.)

(!)

Luke pondered this for a moment, "Let's see... You just told me that there was a clever method to solve this puzzle, so maybe if I... Hmm... Wait! If I add one and one thousand, I'll get one thousand and one. If I add two and nine hundred and ninety-nine, I'll get one thousand and one again. So, there should be five hundred pairs of numbers that equal one thousand and one!"

Luke pulled a small notepad from his pocket and began to write in it, "One thousand and one times five hundred is... That's a lot of zeros... There! Five hundred and five thousand!"

The professor crossed his arms while watching Luke, "You solved that one very quickly."

Luke got out of his chair and pointed straight at the professor and shouted, "That was no match for **your apprentice**!"

The resulting shouting ended up waking everyone else up...

Flora covered her ears with her pillow, "It just goes to show that I shouldn't expect a good night sleep **in a presidential suite**."

Brenda simply turned over on her bed, "Luke, would you please keep it down?"

Travis roared like an animal (fittingly) and ended up tearing some of the sheets with his claws, "Will you **shut up**?!"

After hearing all three of them speak at the same time, Luke shuddered in embarrassment, "I'm sorry about that..."

The professor shook his head, "Luke? Now that you are fully awake and alert, why don't you prepare everyone else's supplies while we are waiting for them to finish sleeping?"

Luke had a loud enthusiasm to his voice, "No problem, professah!"

Travis grabbed a nearby glass plate from last night's dinner and tossed it right in Luke's direction, "**Shut up!**"

Luke was quick enough to duck underneath the plate that was flying right toward him and the plate hit the wall and shattered into several pieces, "Ah! Sorry... again. But, you don't need to go throw anything at me!"

While Luke left to prepare everyone else's supplies, the other spirit within the professor's body spoke to him again, "_Well, that was a dashing sight to be sure... Wouldn't a true gentleman normally tell his apprentice that the supplies were already prepared hours ago?_"

"I had feared that Luke's... for lack of a better term, 'inner fan boy' would have woken the entire hotel prematurely."

"_I suppose that's true. Anyway, while you're waiting, I may well introduce something else about Truesight to you._"

"Really? What would that be?"

"_As I have told you earlier, each person has a distinct 'aura' that is not normally seen by the naked eye. Well, give Truesight a try again. You'll know what I mean._"

After turning on Truesight again, the professor immediately noticed a set of dark blue footprints that were different from the light blue footprints from last night, "This is odd. This set of prints are much darker than the other ones. Would that be because Luke was wearing shoes and that the heat signature from his feet were muffled?"

"_A good guess but... (imitates buzzer sound) __**Wrong!**__ If that was truly the case, then everyone that was outside would have had to have walked in their bare feet. The reason that Luke's footprints are of a darker shade of blue is because I have personally adjusted the ways your eyes will perceive Luke's __**specific aura**__."_

"I... I beg your pardon? You've **adjusted** my own eyes?"

"_Not only your eyes, but your brain and your consciousness as well..._"

"What is the meaning of this? I did not notice myself changing to your whims."

"_Remain calm... All I did was sort out all of the clutter in your mind. You would not believe how messy your mind was when I first got here... Did you even notice that an __**entire adventure**__ was once completely missing from your mind? It took me ages to find and sort out each volume of 'Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy' from the pile of clustered memories that were scattered everywhere. Your welcome, by the way..._"

"I was wondering why I could not recall the history of the Azran... I had to borrow one of Clark's written books before he died to refresh my memory. Now then, what exactly is spectacular about Luke's aura?"

"_It isn't really his aura that is worth mentioning. It's just that his aura will now be perceived in a __**specific color**__. During your adventure, there is the possibility that you and everyone else may have to be separated, whether that means splitting up to find an obscure clue or even a possible hostage situation. While there aren't enough colors in the entire spectrum to identify every single person in the world, there should be enough to identify anyone close to you. Since Luke always wears a distinct blue attire, I have adjusted your eyes so that you would perceive his aura to be a dark blue color._"

"So hypothetically speaking, it would be much easier to track Luke down should he go missing. Is that correct?"

"_Mhmm... Anything that Luke touches or anywhere that Luke walks to should leave a dark blue print that can only be seen with Truesight. Also, Luke himself should have a dark blue aura around him that can only be seen with Truesight. This is important because anyone that __**disguises themselves as Luke**__ cannot possibly have that aura, nor will they ever be able to replicate it._"

"I suppose this means that any of Paul's disguises are futile from this point on."

The professor sat back on the chair and noticed brown footprints underneath him, "I assume that brown signifies myself."

"_You've always been dressed in brown throughout your adventures, haven't you? While your own aura may not be as helpful, it may be a good idea to see where you've walked and what you've touched recently at some point._"

Out of curiosity for different colored auras, the professor glanced at his three sleeping companions, "What about those three over there?"

"_Yes, you'll perceive their aura differently as well. According to 'Professor Layton and the Curious Village: Volume 3', Flora was once known as the 'Golden Apple'. So, you will perceive her aura as a golden color. As for Brenda, while I do not personally have any distinct characteristics recorded in your mind, he is Luke's mother. You will perceive her aura as a green color. Lastly, the animal..._"

"The animal? Do you still have bitter feelings toward Travis?"

"_Forgive me, but I am still not very fond of it... er, him. He's proven himself to be extremely dangerous when provoked. I experienced it firsthand..._"

"I am aware of that. Still, I do not believe that he is completely malevolent."

"_He just tried to throw a glass plate at Luke a minute ago..._"

"Yes, well..."

"_If you trust him enough, then I won't fight with you over it. I just want you to at least be careful with him. At any rate, Travis is a panda bear and has black and white fur. You will perceive his aura as a gray color. Finally, anyone that is currently unaffiliated with you or anyone else you know will have their auras perceived as the default light blue color._"

"I suppose that could prove to be useful in the future. Would it be possible to add more people to this list if necessary?"

"_Certainly. Oh, and one more thing... The colors that you perceive now are only the default colors that I have already set. If you ever want to change the color of a perceived aura to a different one, then all you would need to do is to first save your current progress and return to the main menu. Then, select the 'Bonuses' option in the main menu and select 'Aura Colors' from the list of options that are available. You can adjust the perceived aura of anyone you have met to your heart's content._"

"Thank you. This should give me an edge against any dangerous individual that would rely on deception. So far, nearly every villain that I have ever faced had done so."

**I think that I've got most of the tutorials out of the way now... Hopefully, I'll finally get around to portraying the Auric family in the next chapter. As always, feel free to review!**


	6. The Auric Mansion

It was 9 AM and it was now time to get out of bed because everyone was scheduled to meet the Auric family in an hour. Flora and Brenda were already out of bed and were already preparing themselves for their visit at the Auric home. Meanwhile, Travis was still fast asleep and literally chewing on the blanket...

Everyone else was awkwardly staring at the sleeping animal before the professor tapped him on the shoulder to wake him up, "Travis..?"

Travis simply turned over on the bed while he continued to chew on the blanket, "Fuuurguuur Chiiing..."

Luke and Flora were barely holding their laughter while the professor tried again, "Travis, we are scheduled to meet with the Auric family in one hour."

Travis turned over in the same direction again which caused him to fall off of the bed with the blanket wrapped around him like a burrito, "W-what? What now? I just wanna... auuuugh..."

The professor kneeled down and patted Travis on the shoulder again, but before the professor spoke again, Luke poured a teacup full of water on the animal's face.

This woke Travis up immediately, "The weed in the burger wasn't mi... huh?"

After that minor outburst, Travis finally recalled immediately where he was, "What time is it?"

The professor pulled out his pocket watch and it suggested that it was 8 AM, "It is 9:00 and only one hour until we are scheduled to meet with the Auric family."

Travis removed the slightly torn blanket that was wrapped around him and casually tossed it on the bed, which was in sharp contrast to the way that Luke and Brenda's bed was neatly made, "Oh yea..."

Travis yawned and then grabbed the prosthetic eyeball from the top of the desk next to where he slept and inserted it into the eye socket where his left eye used to be.

Flora just happened to be in front of Travis while he did that and she got a good look at the inside of Travis's empty eye socket. She held her mouth shut as if she was preventing herself from throwing up, "Ugh... Could you at least turn around when you do that?"

Travis looked at Flora for a moment, but he was still half-asleep and just yawned again in response.

The professor silently shook his head for a moment after watching Flora and Travis, "Now then... Shall we head out now?"

Luke was all too eager to really begin another adventure with his idol, "Yes! I can't wait to get started!"

Flora was also just as excited, "I'm coming along this time!"

The professor had already assured her of this, "Yes, Flora. I am already aware."

Brenda had a more dignified disposition, "Luke, don't forget to wash your hands after we finish eating breakfast over there."

Luke is currently aware of the fact that he is not nine years old anymore, "Mother... I'm fourteen years old..."

Travis was still a bit groggy, "Do you think that Auric place has coffee?"

The professor had another solution for Travis, "I still have some tea left over in the kettle if you would like."

Travis shook his head, "No... I want a real drink to wake me up."

The professor felt like he needed to debate over that for a moment, "Now see here, tea is...", before Travis yawned again which gave away the fact that he wouldn't be listening to the professor's explanation anyways, "Oh, it's not worth it..."

The party of five had left the hotel and went outside after the long rest. Obviously, it was much brighter outside in the morning and there were many more people walking around and doing their daily business.

When the group was in the center of town, the collective attention of its citizens were focused on them and more specifically, Travis. There were at least a dozen people pointing at the animal and whispering among themselves.

This was nothing that Travis was not already accustomed to, so he just ignored them, "Did we ever get a **real** map from the Aurics at some point?"

Before the professor could answer, the townsfolk started gasping in wonder of Travis's ability to speak. Some of them quickly paced themselves toward the group and surrounded the animal and even went as far as to start taking pictures of him. Travis was no stranger to this either, and he just placed his paw over his eyes and shook his head in disgust...

The professor immediately noticed Travis's disgust and grabbed the animals arm and hastily walked toward the northern most end of the town. The rest of the group was following the professor and the mob of curious and amazed townsfolk constantly following them.

The professor was just doing his best to ignore them now, "I had spent all of last night observing this city and seeking out hidden puzzles, so I am positive that the Auric mansion is located in the northern end of town."

Luke was curious as to how the professor figured that out without a map, "Mansion? Professah? How did you figure out that the Auric family lived in a mansion?"

The professor recalled the letter that instructed him to come to Aurich in the first place, "The letter mentioned an 'heir to the Auric throne' and the only building in town that would befit any ruler would be that mansion."

The mansion itself was about the size of a three story building and had the same design of white brick walls and a blue roof like the other houses. However, a noticeable difference between the mansion and the other homes is the fact that there's a large golden gate surrounding the mansion.

This was a fact that Travis commented on to himself, "A gate made of solid gold... How pretentious can humans get..?"

Luke was the first to grab the gate, but he found the door to be locked, "What? Professah? Are you certain that this is the right place?"

The professor examined the gate, "There are no other mansions, castles, and so on in town. There is no other possibility.", then he noticed the lock on the door had a message engraved in it, "Well... What have we found ourselves here?"

Luke read the message out loud, "Greeting, puzzle solvers. If you have come this far, then there is one final puzzle for you before you are given access. Successful deciphering of the code will allow you access into our most esteemed mansion."

Travis took one hard look at the gate again after hearing that, "Real pompous bastards, aren't they..?"

The professor was still patient enough to play along, "Come now, Travis. We've come this far, so one more puzzle shouldn't pose too much difficulty."

(!)

**Puzzle #05 - The Golden Gate**

**Picarats: 50/50**

The combination that opens the gate is composed of five numbers. Each number may be as low as one and as high as one hundred.

The first number consists of the number of **red** roofed buildings in Aurich.

The second number consists of the total number of windows in our mansion.

The third number consists of the number of rocks that make up **all** of the roads in Aurich divided by ten.

The fourth number consists of the number of people with **blonde **hair and blue eyes within Aurich's population.

The fifth and final number is the third number plus the fourth number divided by the first number.

What is the combination?

(!)

Everyone just took one long look at this puzzle before appearing completely dumbfounded... Luke, Flora, and Brenda silently stared at the professor hoping that he actually had the answer.

Even the professor is starting to understand how irritating this is getting, "I must admit... This is becoming a tad unnecessary."

Luke wasn't hiding his frustration as well as the professor was, "We have to find and count **every single rock** in the road?!"

Flora was more confused than frustrated, "The letter didn't mention having to keep track of each house with a red roof on it..."

Brenda was trying to offer a possible solution, "Professor? Did you happen to bring any hint coins with you?"

There was no way that the professor could solve this in only one hour, so he reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin with a picture of his own hat and an 'L' in the middle of it and..., "One moment... Who do I give the coin to?"

The professor looked around for a brief moment to find that there was nobody to actually **give** the coin to nor were there any slots to insert the coin into on the gate...

Travis walked next to the hinges of the gate, "Yea, this is pretty much the stupidest crap we've ever went through..."

The animal placed his paws around the edge of the gate and pried the very door off of one of the hinges singlehandedly!

Luke practically screamed at Travis to stop, "Travis?! What are you doing?"

Travis began to pry the door off of its remaining hinge, "I don't know about you...", and then he ripped the door off of his other hinge and literally pushed the golden gate door on to the ground, "but, I've just about had enough of this bullshit..."

The rest of the group watched in a combination of awe and fear as the animal had completely ripped the entire door off of its hinges and tossed it on the ground, "There... I solved it..."

Luke stared at the door for another moment, "Travis... How did you do that?"

Travis wasn't exactly bursting with pride, "It's actually not that hard to imagine... Bears are much stronger than humans. Even the average human athlete has only about half of the strength of a infant bear! Besides, the door was made out of pure gold. Gold is a very soft metal and it's actually weaker than iron. Of course I could bust it down..."

Nevertheless, the group had now gained access to the entrance of the Auric mansion. The professor pressed the doorbell and the group heard a very distinctive and rhythmic sound come from the door.

The man that opened the door had the appearance of a stereotypical butler. He had a napkin over one of his arms and his head was bald at the top and had white hair on the sides, "Ah! You must be Professor Hershel Layton, I presume. I must say that we have not expected you for another hour and...", then the butler got a good look at the destroyed gate, "Good heavens! What happened to our gate!?"

Everyone was reluctant to answer and didn't really respond at first. They just scratched the backs of their heads and mumbled until Travis pointed at Flora, "Uh... She did it..."

Flora was outraged at Travis's pitiful attempt to divert blame, "Oh, real mature... You said yourself that bears are much stronger than humans! Who else could have ripped the door off?"

Travis was starting to regret saying that earlier, "I said that? Oh... Uh..."

The butler's disposition changed back to the typical stoic butler type, "Ah, yes... The infamous bear that I've heard so much about. Professor Hershel Layton's letter had failed to mention your complete disregard for personal property... Regardless, you have come now. Ambassador Auric and his daughter, Cattleya will want to speak with you. Come."

The inside of the mansion had walls that were made completely of gold and they were polished enough so that one could see their reflection off of them! There were long, red carpets along the floor and golden suits of armor along the hallways. There was also a very large staircase that led to the top floor of the mansion. The butler rang a small, golden bell to signal the Aurics.

While Manfred didn't show up yet, a girl who was about as tall as Flora walked down the stairs. She wore a shiny red dress and had her blonde hair curled up in a bun. However, the most distinctive feature about this girl was that the large size of her eyes rivaled the size of Flora's eyes.

Everyone else in the group looked back and Flora, then looked at the other girl, then looked back at Flora again.

Finally, the girl introduced herself, "A pleasure to meet everyone. I am Cattleya Auric."

**Gold... gold... more gold... I guess if you're rich then you can live in any madhouse you want... As always, feel free to review!**


	7. Meeting With Cattleya

Cattleya Auric had heavily resembled Flora to the point that one could mistake them for siblings. Her eyes were just as large as Flora's was and they were both physically similar. The only real differences were that Cattleya wore a shiny red dress and had blonde hair that was curled up in a bun with what looked like a small red gem sticking out of it.

Cattleya's voice sounded like Flora's voice, but lower pitched, "A pleasure to meet everyone. I am Cattleya Auric."

While most of the group were still looking back and forth between Flora and Cattleya, the professor was the first to introduce himself, "I am Professor Hershel Layton. I've heard of your predicament from your father's letter."

After watching the professor introduce himself, Luke was the next one to introduce himself, "And I'm Luke Triton, the professah's number one apprentice at your service!"

Cattleya seemed to know what the professor used to look like only over six months ago, "Huh..? Forgive me for saying so, but you seemed so much younger in the newspapers."

The professor pulled his hat over his eyes in embarrassment, "Why yes, I am aware of that... Thank you, Cattleya..."

Flora also noticed Cattleya's huge resemblance to herself, "My name is Flora Reinhold and I must say we look very much alike."

Flora walked directly in front to Cattleya as if she was like a mirror. When Flora would raise her right hand upward, Cattleya would raise her left hand. When Cattleya would widen her already enormous eyes, Flora would do the same.

After watching the two basically mimic one another, Brenda was the next to introduce herself, "Why hello there, Cattleya. My name is Brenda. The boy who just introduced himself earlier is my son."

Travis didn't immediately introduce himself until Cattleya remarked that she recognized him, "Oh! I know you!"

Travis was a bit surprised that anyone outside of America had heard of him, "Really? I guess when there's an intelligent animal in town, word gets around fast."

Cattleya crossed her arms and had a haughty tone of voice, "Intelligent? Hardly... If I remember correctly, I watched you destroy Father's solid golden gate from my quarters."

Travis didn't do a better job of lying this time either and he just pointed at Flora again, "Oh, about that... Uh... She did it."

Cattleya wasn't amused with the obvious lie, "I take it Jacques wasn't fooled either?"

The group didn't know any 'Jacques', until Cattleya pointed to the butler, "Him."

Jacques put his head close to Cattleya's ear to quietly whisper something to her, "Milady... Your father was not expecting them so soon."

Cattleya whispered back to Jacques, "I'm aware. Regardless, we will escort them to the dining room. I can suitably explain the situation while we wait."

Jacques nodded, "Ah, very good.", and then spoke to the group again, "Milady wished to discuss the situation with you in the dining room."

The professor wasn't expecting an immediate audience, but was nonetheless satisfied, "Wonderful. Given that particularly devious puzzle back at the gate, I must say that this is much more convenient than I had expected."

The dining room was located on the first floor. Much like the foyer, the dining room had golden walls and red carpet on the floor. There was a large hand-crafted golden table in the center of the dining room with red cloth covering it and a golden apple as the centerpiece.

The golden apple particularly caught Flora's eye, "A golden apple? That's actually pretty funny."

The chairs that each person would sit in has a corresponding name engraved on it. The name read the following: _'Professor Hershel Layton_', '_Luke_', '_Flora_', '_Brenda_', and '_That Bear_'.

The last chair particularly caught Travis's eye, "That bear? I'm the only one whose name nobody took the time to know."

With Jacques's leave, Cattleya was seated at one end of the table while everyone else was seated on the other side.

The professor pulled out the Auric letter from his coat pocket that he received before he left London, "Cattleya, I have in my possession a letter written from your father. While it explains your current situation to an extent, the details are barely worked out. If I am to aid you and your family in this investigation, I will need to hear your side of the story."

Cattleya nodded, "That's all right, I suppose. It all started about a couple of weeks ago... At first, that day was like any other. I was performing my regular duties for my father's city and its people."

The professor did not entirely understand what Cattleya meant by 'duties', so he pressed for information, "What sort of duties do you perform, Cattleya?"

Cattleya put her hand over her chin, "As the heir of a monarchy that had endured generations of both harmony and adversity, I have many responsibilities despite my youth. I spend a majority of my time simply observing this city to find any signs of discontent from the townspeople. If there is any crisis in the city, I am usually the first one to know. I've had these duties since I was but a six year old child."

The professor was amazed that all of this responsibility is placed on a young lady, "My word. It must be quite the burden for you to take on the management of an entire city, especially at your young age."

Cattleya had a quiet sense of pride in her voice, "This city is my birthright, and the birthright of my descendants throughout the future!", then she calmed down a bit, "Now, let us discuss these 'hauntings' that have been plaguing me for the past couple of weeks."

The professor was all too eager to discuss the situation, "According to your father's letter, you have become haunted by a malicious spirit. Would you care to explain?"

Cattleya looked immediately skeptic of the idea, "On occasion, I may hear an ominous voice calling out my name or catch a glimpse of a dark silhouette hovering nearby. At first, I simply did not care for such petty distractions. However, these disturbances have lately plagued my health. Each time this disturbance haunts me, I feel a cold and sick sensation coming from my very heart and my body has felt numb and brittle! Personally, I do not believe in such a preposterous explanation, but my father and my subjects have also seen and heard the same entity when they are in my company.", then Cattleya slammed her fist on the table, "Whatever the motive, this charade has gone on long enough! This entity is my enemy and I shall see it exterminated whether it is living, dead, or otherwise!"

The professor had one more question for Cattleya, "Do you know why your father had contacted me of all people to aid you?"

Cattleya pulled what looked like a newspaper article from her sleeve, "There was a newspaper article which details your previous encounter with the supernatural six months ago. My father saw fit to call for aid from someone who has had prior experience with this type of situation."

The professor was never one to turn away someone in need of help, "Very well. You have my word that I will do all I can to aid you."

Cattleya was delighted to hear the professor's acceptance, "Thank you. My father will see to it that you are well rewarded upon your success."

The professor declined the need for a reward, "I have no need for any rewards. A true gentleman always helps a lady."

Cattleya was a bit humbled by the professor's declaration, "Your reputation precedes you, Professor Layton. However, you may find that my father is quite stubborn at times. He would most likely reward you for the efforts whether or not you want him to."

The professor was conflicted with whether or not to accept a reward, "Well, if you are certain, then I suppose that it would be quite rude to refuse your father's compensation. I truly have no need of a reward though..."

Travis interrupted the conversation with a suggestion of his own, "Hey, I got an idea.", then he pointed at Cattleya, "Your dad wants to reward us for our work.", and then pointed at the professor, "And you don't want a reward.", and then summarizes the 'solution', "So, give **me** the reward and then everyone's happy!"

Luke and Flora were both silently laughing to themselves while the professor, Brenda, and Cattleya simply ignored Travis's 'solution'. Instead, Cattleya was prepared to remind the group about their prepared breakfast, "Ah, I had almost forgotten! You may take some time to get comfortable here before your meal. My father would not want you malnourished during your investigation. You would be scarcely of any help then."

**In the next chapter, I will portray Cattleya's father as well as a certain familiar character's role in this. As always, feel free to review!**


	8. You'll Make The Front Page!

After nearly a half hour of waiting and getting comfortable, a tall man wearing a regal outfit enters the dining room. The man had short flowing gray hair coming from the sides of his head, but he was bald on the top of his head. He wore a long crimson robe that touched the floor wherever he walked and his blue eyes suggest a serious nature.

Cattleya brought the group to the man's attention, "Father, these are the ones who took up our offer."

Speaking of 'serious nature', the man's expression was nothing but serious, "I am Manfred Auric and I am the **lord of this city!**"

Immediately after Manfred's introduction, Travis started to burst out laughing, "What? Did you end up rehearsing that or something?"

Manfred didn't even respond to Travis's comment. Despite that, Travis started to mock Manfred's introduction, "I am the **lord of this city! Bring... me... WAFFLES!**"

Everyone else in the group started either started looking nervous or scratched the back of their heads after Travis's brief moment while Manfred just glared at Travis.

Travis noticed everyone else's reactions and was now embarrassed himself, "I'll stop now."

Manfred's face didn't even budge an inch. The professor (as usual) was the first to introduce himself, "I am Professor Hershel Layton. According to this letter, you were the one who had asked me to aid you in this mystery."

Manfred responded quickly, "Yes. And these four?"

The professor introduced Manfred to his companions, "The boy dressed in blue is Luke Triton. He is aspiring to be quite the gentleman. The young lady sitting next to him is Flora Reinhold. I have adopted her a few years ago and she has been a fine daughter since. The lady over there is Luke's mother, Brenda. And he..."

Before the professor could introduce Travis, he silently watch the animal **lick **the bottom of his armpits and his arm... While this kind of grooming is certainly normal for animals, humans are easily disgusted by this.

Travis didn't understand why everyone was staring at him grooming himself, "Wha?"

The professor had reluctantly introduced him to Manfred, "And this is... Travis. I took him in only recently because he had no source of employment or place to live."

Manfred took a moment to think about this, "I was under the impression that you would be working alone, Professor Layton. I see that some of them are mere children? Is this rabble of yours of any use to you?"

The professor did not like the term 'rabble', "If by rabble, you mean companions, then yes. I have always been able to count on the aid of my companions when situations become especially difficult."

Manfred seemed willing to compromise, "Very well.", then he yelled to someone outside the room, "Chef! Our meal!"

A group of chefs are now in sight as they are quickly arranging breakfast on the table. There were four of them in all and they wore the stereotypical "chef outfit" complete with the tall, white hat. Each of them carried several trays of food each and arranged them on the table very efficiently. It was obvious that they were used to their jobs.

There were all kinds of 'breakfast' foods in each of the trays, such as omelets, French toast, maple syrup, sausage, bacon, hash browns, yogurt, fruit, crêpes, and so on...

Luke and Travis were both practically drooling at the sight of all of this food, while the professor, Flora, Brenda were in awe in a more subtle way.

Manfred showed a feeling of impatience, "Well, what are you all waiting for? Eat."

The professor's current physical condition prevents him from enjoying food, "I must ask your permission to be excused, Mr. Auric. Your food is not the problem, but my... current physical condition prevents me from properly digesting or tasting food among other things."

Manfred didn't know what that meant, "If you were ill, why did you come to this town in the first place?"

The professor was attempting to dodge that question as he didn't like discussing his premature aging and physical disabilities, "A true gentleman always puts another person's needs over their own. There is no need to be alarmed for me. I am still fully capable of solving this puzzle. (Perhaps more so than ever with my newfound abilities.)"

Manfred seemed satisfied with the answer, "Very well... It isn't my business. Does anyone else have any problems to speak of?"

The rest of the group was already shoving food down their throats and gave a mix of "No's" and "Uh-uh's".

Despite his slightly hostile disposition, Manfred was clearly sparing no expense to help his daughter, "Make no mistake. I am aware of the current state of my golden gate."

Manfred glared at Travis, who was currently ravaging his smoked ham like an animal with his bare paws, "Such an action was reckless and I will expect you to compensate me fully."

Travis stopped eating for a moment to point at Flora, "Uh... She di..."

Before Travis even finished his pitiful attempt to divert blame, Manfred positioned his hand between his eyes and Travis, "Do **not** give me a reason to order your decapitation and hang your head in my trophy room, creature!"

Bears are usually stronger than humans, so Travis wasn't normally intimidated by any human. However, the way that Manfred threatened him was enough to make someone's spine tighten. Travis was trying to hide it, but he was actually a bit unnerved, "Hehe... Y-yea, whatever."

The group spent about twenty minutes eating their breakfast before leaving to begin to find the answers to this new mystery. Is there really a malicious spirit haunting the heir to the Auric throne? If so, why? If not, then why would Cattleya say such a thing? The answer to the first puzzle will only yield more questions...

While the group was packing their things, Flora noticed Travis's earlier reaction to Manfred's threat, "Travis? Were you actually **scared **back there?"

Travis shivered from the thought, "Ugh... I don't think he was lying about what he said... I saw his trophy room earlier. There were a bunch of animal heads stuck on pikes! I wouldn't be surprised if the guy was a total sadist!"

Flora wasn't really convinced, "Aw... You're just jumping to conclusions. I'm not sure what it is, but they the Aurics so familiar to me."

Upon leaving the mansion, the group noticed the same mob of people that were amazed with Travis earlier. Travis clearly wasn't amused, "We've been there for an hour! You jackasses are still here?!"

The crowd was heard shouting, "We wanna see the bear!" "Can it do tricks?" "I wanna feed him? Can I feed the bear, mommy?"

Travis slapped his forehead with his paw, while the professor positioned himself in front of Travis to shield him from the aggressive citizens, "That is quite enough now. We will be taking our leave. Good day!"

A familiar young lady's voice could be heard over the frantic mob, "Oh no, you don't! There's no way I'm letting such a great shot slip by!"

A lady dressed in a yellow coat with a matching yellow headband in her long, brunette hair jumped from the crowd (literally) and landed right next to Travis. She pulled out a large, black camera and pointed it right in Travis's face, "You'll make the front page!"

The lady repeatedly took photo after photo at the annoyed animal, who was covering his face with his paw. She was practically teasing Travis at this point, "Come on, little guy... Smile for the camera! And say something! Do you have a catchphrase? Something I can use as a title?"

Travis gritted his teeth in anger, "Go to hell!"

The lady had instantly become hostile to Travis, "What did you just say?!"

Before the bickering could descend into a fight, the professor interrupted them, "Enough, both of you. It's been some time, hasn't it... Emmy."

The lady was surprised to hear her own name, "Could it be..? Professor?"

She took a good, long look at the professor and was visibly shocked to see how badly he had aged, "Y-your face? Your skin?! Have you..?"

The professor confirmed her fears, "Yes, Emmy."

Emmy dropped her camera on the ground in complete shock. By sheer coincidence, the camera landed so that the lens was pointing directly at Travis and the shutter hit the ground, so that a picture would be taken of Travis anyway.

Then, she recalled what she read about the professor last adventure and the Snow Tower Cataclysm, "Then, it's all true... The gentleman that formed a pact with an angel. If the rumors were true, then... it was **you**?!"

The professor did not think of himself as any kind of 'legend', so he dodged the question, "None of that matters much now, does it?"

Emmy didn't want to let the question go, "That doesn't answer my question."

The professor didn't like talking about the terrible things that happened in his last adventure, "I know. However, we are all currently on a mystery involving a malicious spirit haunting the heir to the Auric throne. Manfred Auric has proven himself to not be a very patient man, so I cannot spend too much time on small talk. Emmy, do you know anything of the subject?"

Emmy thought about it for a moment, "I'm afraid I don't know any more than any of the locals. They say that the heir to the Auric throne, Cattleya, was starting to feel ill since a couple of weeks ago."

The professor put that down in his notebook, "Well, I suppose that this is at least consistent with Cattleya's side of the story."

Emmy patted Luke's head very hard, "But, I can't leave without getting to see the assistant of the famous Professor Layton!"

Luke recoiled a bit after Emmy practically smacked his head, "H-hello, Emmy... I heard that you've become a cameraman... er, 'camera lady' for the World Times. The professah told me all about it from your letter."

Emmy also noticed Brenda, "Huh? I never thought you would actually accompany your son on an adventure."

Brenda wasn't actually accompanying the group on the whole adventure, "I just wanted somewhere to relax for a while. It gets terribly lonely while Luke's gone."

Emmy looked like she wanted to laugh, "What's the matter? Clark doesn't satisfy you anymore?"

Brenda wasn't happy to give the news, "My husband's dead..."

Emmy gasped instantly, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

Emmy picked up her camera and pointed it at Flora, "Cattleya? I like your new hair!"

Flora was shocked, "What?"

Emmy snapped picture after picture, "I can see the latest headline: Auric Heir Starts Newest Hairstyle Craze!"

Flora denied that she was Cattleya, "I'm not Cattleya. I just happen to look like her. My name is Flora."

The professor confirmed Flora's claim, "It's true. I am Flora's current guardian. I adopted her several years ago."

Emmy was interested in all of the professor's adventures, but turned her attention back to Travis, "You've certainly done a lot in the past few years, Professor. But, I came for a scoop and I'm not leaving until I get it!"

Travis was gritting his teeth and trying to keep his cool, "I don't... like... cameras... It starts out harmlessly enough, then the pictures go on the internet, then everyone wants to see the 'amazing bear' in person, and next thing you know, there's an entire mob of jackasses demanding that I entertain them and the city's average IQ drops by four percent!"

Luke was quick to warn Emmy of Travis's anger, "Emmy, please don't make him mad. He almost threw a plate at me this morning..."

Emmy wasn't intimidated at all, "I can handle it. Do you remember how I took on a whole group of thugs on my own back in Misthallery?"

Emmy pointed her camera at the **very** annoyed animal, "Now, **smiiiiile!**"

Instead of smiling, Travis quickly grabbed Emmy's camera and completely crushed it under one of his paws while it was still in her hands!

Emmy was surprised and outraged after Travis destroyed her camera, "How dare you! I spent over two hundred pounds on that camera!"

Travis gave a warning so bitter that his saliva was dripping out of his mouth, "Next time, it'll be me ripping your little intestines out of your fragile human body, **bitch**!", then Travis turned to the now terrified crowd and roared at them to scare them off.

The professor intervened again by physically holding Travis back, "Enough, Travis! If you do not want people to treat you like an animal, then you must stop **acting** like one!"

Travis relented, "Fine... I get enough stress from jackasses anyway..."

Emmy picked up the pieces to her camera and angrily scowled at Travis.

**It's funny how mobs of people can be formed over things like this only to be disbanded so easily... As always, feel free to review!**


	9. Puzzle Battles & Psychelocks

Professor Layton had only known Travis for over six months, but this is not the first time that he had to 'diffuse' him... Every time that Travis would lose his temper, Professor Layton would usually tell him not to act like an animal. Since Travis was literally an intelligent animal and hated being treated like no better than a circus attraction, this would actually work.

Emmy gathered the pieces of her camera in her hands, "Well, so much for my scoop...", and she was still angry about her camera, "Professor? Please tell me that animal isn't your newest assistant!"

The professor could tolerate angered individuals to an extent, "I am aware that Travis is not as 'optimistic' as any good assistant would be, but do not let his appearance deceive you. I have seen his knowledge of the supernatural firsthand, and this mystery may indeed involve the supernatural. He may prove to be very helpful to our investigation despite his... shall I say... differences in handling certain situations."

Emmy finished gathering the pieces of her camera and put them in a bag, "Is that a nice way of saying that this 'Travis' belongs in a cage?"

As said before, Travis did not take kindly to being treated like a monster, "I'm not a psychopath! I just don't like it when humans go out of their way to piss me off!"

The professor did a better job explaining how Travis was unique, "As Travis is literally a bear, he may become quite vicious when angered. He may be quite intelligent for a bear, but that does not change his natural instincts. In other words, please do not go out of your way to anger him."

Emmy gave a stern look at Travis again, "Oh, I can handle myself. I'll have you know I didn't get to be Head Photographer at the World Times for nothing! And don't you **dare** use such horrible language with me or call me 'fragile' ever again or you'll get a good taste of my roundhouse kick!"

Travis nearly burst out laughing, "Seriously?! Do you know how horribly impractical trying to kick someone in the face is?"

Emmy obviously thought otherwise, "A roundhouse kick is one of the many forms of martial arts that I can use to knock a thug out cold!"

Travis wasn't even close to impressed, "I'm guessing that these 'thugs' that you speak of just stand around holding their arms out and acting like they're tough while you take the time to wind up a kick... You are human, right?"

Emmy responded like anyone who was asked a stupid question, "I am. So what?"

Travis had a deadpan response, "In that case, almost any other animal in existence would consider you fragile as hell..."

Emmy looked like she was ready to kick Travis in the face, "And just why is that?"

(!)

**Puzzle Battle #01 - The Dominant Species**

**Emmy vs. Travis**

The professor was understandably annoyed at the childish bickering, "My word... Is this truly necessary?"

"_Do you still believe that bringing him with you was a fine idea?_"

The professor had his reasons for bringing Travis along, "Since this puzzle may involve the undead, Travis's unique skills may greatly improve Cattleya's and the town's chances for survival... assuming they do not find one of the hundreds of ways to anger him first..."

"_So you plan to simply to leave things to chance? I must say that as an English gentleman, this is a trifle low for your standards, Hershel._"

"We have only just arrived in town last night and have barely learned anything of the situation. I need more information before I can form a proper solution. In the meantime, we must take the time to learn all we can. Though, I admit that this brief detour is pointless, but I suppose if this little battle of wits **remains** with just wits, then there is ultimately no harm done."

"_Fair enough. Oh, and I've almost forgotten! Since you've met her before, I've taken the time to adjust your eyes again. You'll perceive Emmy's aura as a yellow color._"

(!)

Travis actually several reasons as to why he thought humans were fragile compared to him, "You've asked for it... As any human, your skin has absolutely no resistance to harsh weather or natural buffering to physical blows whatsoever..."

Emmy didn't really care about that one, "I don't need thick fur to protect me. I have my good old martial arts skills!"

Travis still wasn't impressed, "Uh-huh... And as any human, your bones can break and your muscles can tear by something as flimsy as a crowbar..."

Emmy didn't really care about that one either, "Again, I can just **avoid** getting hit. Besides, I bet you've never took a blow from a crowbar!"

Travis rebuked that claim, "Actually, I have. Many times... And I suffered no lasting damage against a crowbar, or a sledgehammer, or a kick in the groin, or even a few low caliber bullets in my head...

Emmy found that a little hard to believe, "Now you're just making up fantasies."

Travis rebuked that claim as well, "You only think it's fantasy because you can't realistically fathom the idea of resistance to actual pain. As any human, your entire body has so many nerves inside it, so you basically have no tolerance to actual pain whatsoever..."

Now Emmy really couldn't believe Travis's claims, "You say it like you can't get hurt at all! Sure, I can feel pain, but broken bones can be mended and wounds can be healed. My leg was broken only a week ago and look at me now!"

Travis still wasn't impressed (even though recovering from a broken leg in only a week **is** remarkable in of itself), "And I recovered from getting my left eye plucked out in only a day..."

Emmy noticed the large scar over Travis's left eye, "Your eye..?"

Travis poked it with his paw nail, "It's a prosthetic."

Now Emmy was actually surprised, "Well then... That's... uh..."

Travis continued giving out more reasons for him not being threatened by her or any other human, "And as any human, I'm sure you have certain phobias over something completely stupid which can cause you a mental blow just by you simply looking at it..."

Emmy blurted this out loud, "Arachnophobia is not stupid! Many people go through their whole lives having a fear of spiders and live their lives just fine."

Travis was getting bored now, "No, many **humans** have that... By the way, I didn't actually suggest 'spiders'. I meant things like blood or mutilated corpses."

Like most humans, Emmy really detested the idea of blood, "Well, of course I wouldn't be comfortable around such a gory sight! You're saying that wouldn't scare you either?"

Travis shook his head, "Actually, it really wouldn't. I've spent my cub years accustomed to the gore and savagery of the wilderness. I learned how not to give a damn. Finally, as any human, I'm sure your so-called 'status' as the dominant species has rendered you arrogant enough to be completely incapable of having a practical counter for any of these weaknesses at this very moment... Am I right so far?"

Emmy wanted to make a snide comeback, but all that came out was, "A-arrogant?! You know what... Just shut it."

Travis silently rolled his eye like he made his point.

The professor interrupted the squabble (again), "Well, it was very nice to see you again, Emmy. Forgive me for interrupting your little battle of wits, but we shouldn't keep the Aurics waiting for answers for longer than necessary."

Emmy calmed down nearly instantly, "I suppose you're right, Professor. It was nice meeting you all again.", and then reverted to her anger with Travis before leaving, "This isn't over, you hear me..."

Travis acted like he was about to fall asleep, "Yea, whatever..."

Brenda didn't enjoy the petty squabble very much, "Well, that was unnecessary."

Travis felt the same way, "No kidding... This had nothing to do with the Aurics or the undead, so let's just pretend that little detour never happened."

Luke told Travis what she really meant, "My mum was talking about **you**."

Flora felt the same way, "All she wanted to do was take a few pictures. You didn't have to act like that!"

Travis already knew that actually, "I already told her... First it's just pictures, then the internet, then it leads to events that annoy me and drop the town's average IQ. I just went over that."

The professor interrupted the bickering for a third time now, "**Enough.** Now then, the only consistent information we have to work with is that the hauntings supposedly occurred about a couple of weeks ago and have been persistent since. Travis? Do you have any suggestions?"

Travis took a moment to think about this, "Well, if it's only **one** soul, then it probably isn't an outbreak, so there shouldn't be any otherworldly dimensions this time around. Maybe someone died a cruel or unusual death in town recently?"

The professor had his own question for that, "But what would that have to do with Cattleya Auric?"

Travis just shrugged his arms, "I don't know..."

The professor knew the first place to start, "In that case, the best place to begin is the local police department. If there is anyone that has evidence of someone who may have died roughly two weeks ago, it would be them. Since I have Baron Auric's approval, we should simply be given access to autopsy records."

Brenda decided to return back to the hotel for now, since she was only going to be there for a vacation anyway, "Well, I would best be heading back now. Remember Luke, don't ever put yourself at risk. When the professor tells you to remain safe, you do **exactly **what he says."

Luke wasn't fond of being coddled from his mother anymore, "I know, mum... I'm fourteen..."

Brenda hugged Luke for leaving, "Oh, I know that... It's just... you're the only family I have left."

Luke had to straighten his hat after being hugged, "I'll be safe, mum. I promise!"

The professor reassured her as well, "Brenda, we will be sure to check back regularly."

The rest of the group readied themselves for a quick trip to the police station, and getting in the police station was the easy part, despite the fact that the sign wasn't in English. The hard part came **after** getting in the police station. Normally, you would expect police to be professional and dedicated and for the most part, this is true. However, in most of Layton's adventures, the higher-ranked members of the police force usually have quirky features about them that make them stand out and this police chief was no exception...

She appeared to be about eighty to ninety years old, but was quite fit and agile for her age. Her white hair was short, but her eyebrows and nose were very long and exaggerated. She almost looked like a caricature in an artist's drawing, "Ah! Fresh meat!"

The entire group was immediately feeling disturbed...

The professor was the first to ask, "Yes, well... I am Professor Hershel Layton. Baron Auric has given me the task of solving a mystery involving a possible paranormal haunting affecting the heir to the Auric throne. A consistent possibility is that this may be caused by someone who was died roughly two weeks ago. May I have access to your autopsy records?"

Obviously, a police chief wouldn't just **give** free access to someone she personally never met, "Sorry, but I can't allow that. You may have the fine figure of a gentleman, but I can't just let **anyone** go messing with our records. Besides, there hasn't been a single death in town for a couple of months now."

After she just said that, all of the colors of everything from the professor's point of view have inverted with the exception of the elderly police chief herself until she was surrounded in pitch black darkness. Then, what appeared to be several chains coming from nowhere came in between the professor and the police chief followed by what appeared to be a **red lock**, "What in the world..?"

It doesn't seem like anyone else noticed any physical changes since Luke wondered why the professor was acting so strange, "Professah? Are you all right?"

The professor didn't hear Luke right now. All that the professor could perceive is the police chief, his own thoughts, and the other soul inhabiting his body...

"_This certainly came sooner than I expected. That little red lock you see over the police chief is called a 'Psychelock'. Psychelocks are used as a metaphysical barrier to withhold information._"

"Psychelocks..? I've heard that term used somewhere before... Ah! Of course! I traveled with an eccentric lawyer named Phoenix Wright at one point. He would perceive these psychelocks whenever someone he questioned was directly lying to him with the aid of a spiritual matagama."

"_But, you do not possess any matagama and yet you can perceive this psychelock right now. It must be my own presence within your body that allows you to see it._"

"I am aware that Mr. Wright's matagama originates from a family of spirit mediums known as the Fey Clan. Perhaps the use of the matagama and Truesight is similar to one another..."

"_If that is the case, then this police chief is lying to you._"

"That would seem to be the case, but for what purpose? I have only just begun my investigation. I have no evidence that could link anyone, let alone a police chief, to any suspicious activities."

"_Psychelocks can appear in a number of one to five locks. The difficulty of breaking these locks and hearing the truth is determined by the number of locks. Since there is only one lock present, then that could mean that the police chief's reason for withholding information may not necessarily be corrupt or personal. You may not even need real evidence here... Simple coercion should suffice for breaking single locks._"

"I understand. Let's see what I can learn from her..."

Luke, Flora, and Travis were all awkwardly staring at the professor and the police chief basically staring at each other for over five minutes without saying a word...

**And with that, I reintroduced two old mechanics: puzzle battles and psychelocks. For those that do not know, psychelocks do not originate from the Professor Layton series. They actually appear in the Phoenix Wright series and since Professor Layton has had a crossover game with Phoenix Wright, I figured that there should be no reason why he shouldn't be able to use it himself. As always, feel free to review!**


	10. The Auric Coverup

Professor Layton perceived a psychelock when the police chief stated the following sentence: "Besides, there hasn't been a single death in town for a couple of months now." If the concept behind psychelocks is accurate, then they should only appear when someone is **directly** lying. There was only one way for the professor to find out...

Since he had no evidence or any provable reason to suspect that the police chief was lying to him, the professor tried a method that was unorthodox for an English gentleman, "Chief, please tell me the truth."

The elderly chief actually seemed somewhat amused, "So, I'm lying now? Here I thought today would be as much of a bore as any other..."

And here goes the professor's 'method', "Perhaps you are already aware, chief, that there was a peculiar figure with a top hat climbing up the various buildings in town last night."

The police chief recalled reports of something like that last night, "How did you know..? Hold on, you mean to tell me... that was you?"

The professor admitted to this as if he was actually guilty of something, "Yes."

The chief looked like she had heard the most absurd thing in her life, "And you just came waltzing in here to tell me personally? I don't know whether you're fearless or just brainless, but my officers assumed that there was another thief in town. If that's true, then the famous Professor Layton has got to be the worst thief in history! Nobody reported any thefts at all, just you climbing buildings..."

The professor was careful not to let himself be accused of theft, "Let me assure you, chief, that I had no intention of thievery. I was called to solve a mystery about a malicious spirit haunting the heir to the Auric throne. I was told by several sources that the hauntings may have started merely a couple of weeks ago, so I was under the assumption that there had been a recent death and that it may have possibly been covered up, but I do not know all the details. I realized that this theory is not the sort of thing a local stranger would simply tell me about, so I was forced to eavesdrop on some of their conversations to get answers. In addition, I would seem even more suspicious if I were to simply stand outside of each house in plain sight. Yes, now you understand now... I am here to solve this mystery and as any proper gentleman, I chose to do so in the manner that was as most efficient as possible. Baron Auric was never known to be a patient man."

The police chief paused for a moment to memorize the professor's entire 'explanation' before busting out laughing, "Behehahahahaha!"

The professor knew he would sound completely foolish, but he needed information, "Laugh at me if you must, chief, but my point still stands. The locals **have** discussed a recent death amongst themselves and that is why I have now come to you for information. If there is anything you can tell me at all, I am certain that it could be used to help the Auric family very much."

The police chief shook her head like none of it really mattered, "The people don't really know how to keep a low profile..."

The police chief's statement had confirmed the professor's 'spur of the moment' theory, "Then, it is the truth?"

The police chief didn't even seem like she cared that much, "Well, if it will help the Aurics... Yes, it's true. A convicted felon had received his death sentence exactly a couple of weeks ago just like the locals talked about."

Once the police chief admitted this, the psychelock that the professor perceived earlier had broken apart.

The professor didn't understand why the police chief would even hide something like that, "Chief, forgive me if I am crossing a line here, but why didn't you simply tell me the truth in the beginning?"

The police chief took the whole thing in stride, "To be honest, I was only doing what the Auric heir told me and the rest of the police to do. It wasn't anything personal!"

The professor clearly wasn't expecting that, "Hold on... Cattleya wanted this **covered up**?"

The police chief nodded, "Mhmm... The death sentence that she wanted covered up was of a man named Stanley Hertz. At first, I didn't understand what the point was of a cover-up either, but it turned out that the Auric heir was the victim of this Hertz fella in a kidnapping."

The professor found it odd that someone could sentenced to death over a mere kidnapping, "This Stanley was sentenced to death for it. Doesn't that sort of punishment seem a tad harsh even if it was Cattleya that was kidnapped? Perhaps that was why the death sentence was covered up..."

The police chief was reluctant to speak any further about it, "Well..."

After that, the professor perceived **three** more psychelocks over the police chief now, "Oh my word..."

"_So much for 'It wasn't anything personal!'._"

The professor figured since he came this far that he could squeeze more information out of the police chief, "Chief, is there something else you aren't telling me? Was it more than a mere kidnapping?"

The police chief refused to cooperate any further, "Uh-uh... Sorry, Professor Layton. I can't tell you any more even if it will be used to help the Aurics out. Let's just say that there are some things that won't heal in time. Justice has already been served anyway and there's just no point in bringing up painful memories now."

The professor figured that three psychelocks would be harder to break than one with simple coercion anyway, "That is all you can tell me then?"

The police chief seemed sincerely remorseful about it, "I'm sorry, but this sort of information is what caused the Aurics so much misery in the past and I just don't want to cause more harm than good, that's all. Oh, and do me a favor. Don't tell anyone that I told you about this? You'll be a gentleman, right?"

The professor knew that she was just appealing to him now, but he didn't mind, "I may need to use this information in several conversations, but let me assure you that I will not bring you or the police up if I do."

The police chief seemed grateful enough, "Thank you. Let me tell you that there just aren't many gentlemen like the glory days. Kids these days... Ehehehehe..."

The professor didn't like being reminded of his recent premature aging, but the police chief wouldn't have known anything about that, "Uh... Ahem! Well then, I suppose we should be goi..."

Before the professor finished, the police chief started ranting about something that had nothing to do with the mystery, "It's really quite sad. People like us are getting so old... We're a dying breed, Hershel Layton."

The professor wondered why she called him 'Hershel' just now, "Chief, did you just..?"

The police chief interrupted again, "Please, call me Margaret."

The professor didn't understand what was going on, "Margaret? One moment... Why must I..?"

The police chief had now started to rant about old age, "I know that this is all so fast, but I'm so old and lonely. We don't have much time left!"

The professor didn't understand what the police chief's real intentions were, "This does not have anything to do with the mystery..."

"_Hershel... The police chief is __**flirting**__ with you._"

Between watching the police chief flash her eyebrows repeatedly and the other soul within him speaking to him, the professor finally understood what the police chief was doing, "Oh no... **Good heavens, NO!**"

The professor immediately jumped out of the chair and bolted out of the building with Luke's arm in one hand and Flora's arm in another, "Ohgoodnesslookatthetimeweshouldreallybeleavingnow therearepuzzlestosolveandtheydonotsolvethemselvesi twasverynicemeetingwithyoubutweshouldreallybeleavi ngnowIsaidthatalready**goodday!**"

The professor was practically fleeing for his life with Luke and Flora behind him. Travis stared at the chief for a moment and wordlessly shook his head before following the rest of the group...

After everyone left, the professor shivered at the thought of what had nearly happened, "If only I could have anticipated how frightening a simple investigation could have ended..."

Flora tried to think of the situation a bit more positively, "The police chief was quite strange, but we have learned some new pieces of information. According to the police chief, Cattleya was once kidnapped by a 'Stanley Hertz' some time ago and he was sentenced to death for it about a couple of weeks ago. She also told us that Cattleya wanted the death sentencing covered up from the public's eyes."

Luke didn't understand how the professor got the police chief to tell them that information so easily, "Professah? You told me that you were only outside finding hidden puzzles all night while we were sleeping. Why didn't you tell us about the rumors earlier?"

The professor was holding back the urge to chuckle, "Quite simple, my boy. It is because there **were no rumors** being spread that night."

Luke wasn't used to the professor blatantly lying to anyone, "Then, that means... Professah? Were you bluffing back there?"

The professor explained why he bluffed earlier, "The police chief was not going to give us information freely, so I needed to 'convince' her into telling us."

Luke thought about it for a moment, "Convince her..? I saw your eyes glow faintly right when she said that there wasn't a single death in town. Professah? Did you... **see** her lies?"

The professor was impressed how quickly Luke figured that out, "You have caught on quickly, my boy. I suppose that I should not be that surprised as you have grown into quite the capable investigator yourself over the years."

Luke was practically gushing over the professor's praise, "Aw... It was nothing, professah... You have always been able to solve puzzles and mysteries before, but now... What you did back there... was actually quite frightening! If you can see lies like that, then that means that nobody can hide **anything **from you!"

The professor was clearly amused by Luke, "That frightens you?"

Luke wasn't trying to suggest that the professor was doing anything wrong, "Don't get me wrong, professah! What you did back there was amazing, but it's also a bit frightening. I didn't say anything before, but after what happened to us six months ago. It's like you've changed a little bit inside. Just a little bit..."

"_Well, I have to hand it to him, Hershel... Even if your body falls apart and you can't go on, you'll still have a worthy successor!_"

Travis interrupted the rest of the group with his signature snarking, "Yea, sure... You were cool at first, and then the chief started hitting on you.", Travis started imitating the police chief's voice, "Hershel... I want you and I will **not** be denied! Wrrrraaaaaaahh!"

The professor was once again disturbed by that, "The chief is hiding more information from us... It pains me to know that I will have to see her again."

The professor shivered at the thought...

**Hopefully, I should be able to explain more of Stanley Hertz's backstory in the next chapter. As always, feel free to review!**


	11. Gathering Information

It was 11 AM and the professor's only lead in this mystery was the name 'Stanley Hertz'. According to the police chief, he was responsible for kidnapping the heir to the Auric throne some time ago and his death sentence was carried out two weeks ago. This coincides with the fact that Cattleya herself claims that the hauntings occurred about two weeks ago, so there may be a connection.

The professor took a moment to think about his next move, "Hmm... Before we return to the Auric mansion to answer about Stanley's crimes, it would probably be best to ask anyone that may have personally known this 'Stanley' before his death sentence. If his death was as covered up as the police chief said, then some actual proof would also prove to be quite useful."

Travis had felt like he had more common sense than the rest of the group combined many times before, as he is now feeling like that again, "Oh, Professor Layton... Please, enlighten us with your unique sense of wisdom. Who else other than the Auric folks or the local police would know anything about a death that nobody else should logically know aboutbecause it was **covered up from the public eye**?"

The professor conceded to that much, "Yes, that much may be true. However, that is only if everything the police chief told us was also the truth."

Being the 'good apprentice' that he was, Luke once again had the need to explain things that were already made obvious earlier, "But, professah... The police chief had already told us that she wouldn't tell us anything else. She has to be hiding something!"

The professor wondered about that as well, "The question is... just **what** is she hiding from us and why? She did mention that 'some wounds do not heal over time'... Perhaps there may indeed be some personal involvement for her in this..? Perhaps asking another officer about this subject may bring some clarity..?"

Flora pointed to another nearby officer that was next to the station that the group just left a moment, "What about him?"

The professor had nothing to lose for trying, "I suppose there is no harm in it."

The officer himself physically resembled one from Monte d'Or except that his uniform was in a golden color instead of blue. In fact, a more accurate term to describe him would be 'palette swap'.

Regardless, the professor need information from this 'palette swapped' officer, "Pardon me, sir. My name is Hershel Layton. The Auric family had asked me for my assistance in solving the mystery behind whether the heir to the Auric throne is being haunted by a malicious spirit. I have reason to believe that the name 'Stanley' may have some connection to the answer. Do you know anything about that particular name?"

The officer declined having any knowledge of the name, "No, sorry. Did this 'Stanley' go missing?"

The professor immediately perceived another single psychelock after the officer's denial, "Of course... The police chief told us that the Auric heir herself ordered the local police to cover up Stanley's death sentence... Perhaps you are not already aware, but..."

Before the professor could even try to coerce the officer, he immediately shot down any opportunity for conversation, "I'm sorry, but I truly don't know any 'Stanley Hertz'. Now, please move along!"

The professor didn't even need Truesight or psychelocks to know that he was a bad liar, "I did not mention that Stanley's last name was Hertz. How is it that you know that much?"

The officer was about ready to just make up an excuse, "Well, uh... Goodbye!"

The professor was surprised over the officer's sudden reaction, "What?"

The officer was more assertive now, "You heard me... Leave! Scram!"

Flora had curled up her ponytail in a bun similarly to Cattleya's while the two were basically bickering with one another, "Hold it!"

This caught both the professor's and the officer's attention and the officer was the first to respond, "My lady? What are you doing here?"

The professor didn't understand what Flora was doing for a moment, "Your... lady? Officer, you must be mistaken..."

Flora interrupted the two to speak to the officer, "That's not important. Right now, you are to tell Professor Layton everything he needs to know. My family's honor is at stake!"

The professor was getting lost here, "**Your** family?", before figuring out that Flora was actually impersonating Cattleya, "Ah... Ah yes! That is correct, officer. I have been given official permission by the Auric heiress, as you can see."

"_Come to think of it, when we first met Cattleya, she had a striking resemblance to Flora._"

The officer was hesitant to follow that order so easily, "But, my lady..? You were the one who told us to keep that man's death sentence from the public eye in the first pla..."

Flora was actually impersonating Cattleya quite well, "**Silence!** I will not tolerate your incompetence!"

The officer caved in completely after that, "F-forgive me, my lady! Ahem, L-Layton? Professor Layton? You need me to fill you in about Stanley Hertz, right?"

The professor perceived the sole psychelock breaking over the officer, "If it is not too much trouble, I need to know of anyone that may have known this 'Stanley' personally."

The officer was being **overly** expressive by standing up straighter, "Yes, **sir!** Stanley Hertz was found guilty of kidnapping the Auric heiress and sentenced to death two weeks ago."

The professor wanted to see if this Stanley had done more than simply kidnap someone, "Tell me, officer. Do you personally find his punishment harsh for a mere kidnapping or did Stanley commit a more serious crime?"

Even the officer didn't seem to know otherwise, "Personally, I wasn't actually there at the time of the sentence, so I don't actually know if there were other crimes or not."

The professor had another way of understanding that, "In other words, there is a **possibility** that this Stanley Hertz has committed a much greater crime than a simply kidnapping."

The officer seemed like he was actually thinking about it for a moment, "Huh..? Yes, that is possible, isn't it? Well, most of us officers had specific orders from the chief not to get involved with the Auric kidnapping case unless told to, so I was working on another case entirely unrelated to this one."

The professor pressed on that statement a little more, "And you spent the entire time on this other case?"

The officer explained in more detail, "Many officers and I spent the past couple of **months** working on a case with most of the police in Scotland Yard and we haven't solved it yet!"

The professor recognized that name anywhere, "Did you say 'Scotland Yard'? How odd... Normally, when Scotland Yard has difficulty solving a case, they would seek me out to aid them. I have not heard from them since last year."

The officer explained the case that he had been working on, "The prime minister of London had been accused of corruption since about a couple of months ago and this was before the 'Auric hauntings' have taken place. Since Aurich is this branch's highest priority over any other country, only the higher ranked officers have access to the entire story. I've only been in the force for a couple of years now, so I'm still considered a rookie by the higher ups... Sigh... So you see, I've been working with our neighbors in London for most of the past two weeks. I haven't had any actual involvement in the case personally."

"_Hmm... No psychelocks this time. He's not what I would call a proficient liar either._"

The professor seemed convinced of the story, "I see. Do you know anyone else that I may ask about the case?"

The officer had a number of suggestions, "Well, there's the chief."

The professor didn't say anything, but he shivered as if to say 'anything but **that**'.

The officer's second suggestion was, "There's also a photographer from the World Times that was trying to get a new scoop from here since yesterday, so she might know something."

The professor remembered meeting Emmy again earlier, but this was unlikely that she has any physical proof to help him since Travis destroyed her camera, "Is there anyone else?"

The officer's final suggestion was, "What about... Sandra?"

The professor was intrigued, "Go on."

The officer explained, "Before Stanley was convicted for his crimes, he had a little sister. Her name is Sandra and she still lives here. Before you go looking for her, you should know that her last name was changed to 'Meyer' after the incident. She didn't want to be reminded of her brother ever again, or so I hear. You can find her house in the southern portion of town. It's the one with the blue roof on it."

"_**Many**__ of the houses here had blue roofs..._"

The professor was appreciative of the help anyway, "Thank you, officer."

Flora was still impersonating Cattleya, "Very good. Now, return to your regular duties!"

The officer straightened up again in an overly dramatic attempt to act disciplined, "Yes, my lady!"

Luke and Travis were silently laughing to themselves throughout the entire conversation. Afterwards, the group left to find this 'Sandra Meyer' after that.

Travis had his own opinion of the local police after seeing Flora's 'disguise' and the way that the chief acted, "It's official. The police here are a bunch of jackasses..."

Luke thought otherwise, "They aren't so bad, Travis. The police at Scotland Yard seemed silly when we first met them, but they help us when we need it."

Travis silently laughed, while Luke noticed, "Travis, what's so funny?"

Travis never understood why humans were so lazy and were still the dominant species, "No matter where I go, the local authorities do a crappy job. All Flora had to do was roll up her hair and suddenly, they think she's their heiress. Even I can tell that Flora and Cattleya had **different hair color**. Humans must have been getting lower standards lately..."

Luke was somewhat offended by that, "Like you're one to talk! I just watched you rip the Auric gate down earlier this morning!"

Travis shrugged that off, "That was collateral."

Luke also recalled Emmy's camera, "And you destroyed Emmy's camera soon after that!"

Travis shrugged that off as well, "I had to rid us of the jackasses."

While Luke and Travis were bickering, the professor watched Flora uncurl her bun back into a ponytail, "Flora, where did you learn to do that?"

Flora finished straightening her ponytail, "Do what, professor?"

The professor was actually genuinely impressed with Flora's 'performance', "Your impersonation of Cattleya was spectacular. Where have you learned to perform like that?"

Flora was actually quite familiar with the art of deception, "I learned how to go incognito and act like someone else during my time in St. Mystere. Do you remember how I snuck in the Molentary Express a while back? I know I don't look like it, but I had years of practice in deception!"

The professor wasn't entirely sure of Flora's 'skill' since she mostly had time to practice on robots back in St. Mystere. Before the professor could try to acknowledge Flora's talents, he heard Luke and Travis's bickering get louder...

Luke shouted out loud, "I am the professah's apprentice! **Number one!**"

The professor attempted to intervene (again), "Is something the matter?"

Travis shrugged this off as well, "We're fine. Luke was just bragging about how he's your number one kiss-ass."

Luke was getting angry, "I said '**a-pprent-ice**'!"

**In the next chapter, I should be delving into Sandra Meyer's backstory. As always, feel free to review!**


End file.
